A8 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2019
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Kamiakin shuts down Dawgs
By ANNIE FOWLER
STAFF WRITER
Hermiston was worried about
Kamiakin running back Tuna Alta-
hir going into Friday’s game, but it
would be the Braves’ defense that
gave the Bulldogs fits.
Kamiakin held Hermiston to
121 yards of offense en route to
a 40-7 Mid-Columbia Conference
victory on a chilly night at Lamp-
son Stadium.
“It was a tough night,” said
Hermiston assistant coach Rich-
ard Wells, who filled in for coach
David Faaeteete, who was serv-
ing a one-game suspension.
“They are a very good foot-
ball team. Coach (Scott) Biglin
could have made it worse than
what it was. They are a class
organization.”
Sophomore Sam Cadenas said
it was tough not having Faaeteete
on the sidelines.
“It was hard without him,”
Cadenas said. “He helps us on
defense, and when we do some-
thing good, he gets up. His pres-
ence wasn’t there, and I felt we
needed it.”
The Bulldogs (1-7 MCC), who
missed the playoffs, will host an
MCC/GSL crossover game at
5 p.m. next Friday against North
Central.
“Tears will be flowing,” senior
receiver and defensive back Gar-
rett Walchli said of the final game
of the season. “We’ve worked our
tails off for 4-plus years. This is
not the season we wanted, but we
are with our brothers every day.
Who wouldn’t want that?”
The Braves (6-2 MCC) scored
early and often in the first half,
taking a 37-0 lead at the half.
Kelen Rutz scored on a 13-yard
pass play from Henry Mercado,
and on a 53-yard run.
Woodley Downard high-
lighted the second quarter with an
86-yard scoring pass from Mer-
cado to make it 37-0 with 3:45
left to play in the first half.
“We want to make sure we are
playing our best football right
now,” Biglin said. “Our kids were
focused. Defensively, they were
flying around and having fun.”
Braeden Staniszewski kicked
a 28-yard field goal less than five
minutes into the third quarter to
bring about the running clock.
It’s the first time since Sept.
11, 2015, that Hermiston has been
on the wrong side of the running
clock. That game was also against
Kamiakin.
Walchli put the Bulldogs on
the board with 3:40 left in the
game, hauling in a 12-yard touch-
down pass from Sam Schwirse.
Altahir, who averaged more
than 150 yards a game heading
Staff photos by Ben Lonergan
Hermiston defensive back Trevor Wagner (20) brings down Kamiakin quarterback Henry Mercado (2). The Kamiakin Braves defeated the Hermiston
Bulldogs 40-7 at Neil F. Lampson Stadium in Kennewick, Wash., on Friday night.
Kamiakin wide receiver Woodley Downard (15) hauls in
a pass during the first half against the Bulldogs.
into the contest, had 111 yards on
15 carries and one touchdown for
the Braves, as the Bulldogs kept
him in check.
“We tried to tackle him high
Hermiston quarterback Sam Schwirse (1) runs the ball
during the second half against the Braves..
and that didn’t work,” Cadenas
said. “He’s a good player.”
Defensively, the Bulldogs
had a productive night. Cade-
nas and Junior Sepeni had quar-
terback sacks. Cadenas also had
eight solo tackles and two assists,
while Trevor Wagner had eight
solo tackles, and Koi Mikami five
solo tackles and four assists.
BOX SCORE
Hermiston
0
0
0 7 — 7
Kamiakin
16 21
3 0 — 40
SCORING
K — Kelen Rutz 13 pass from Henry Mercado
(Braeden Staniszewski kick)
K — Safety, Kale Crawford tackles Daniel Faaeteete
in end zone
K — Rutz 53 run (Staniszewski kick)
K — Tuna Altahir 20 run (Staniszewski kick)
K — Luis Salgado 25 interception return (Stanisze-
wski kick)
K — Woodley Downard 86 pass from Mercado
(Staniszewski kick)
K — FG Staniszewski 28
H — Garrett Walchli 12 pass from Sam Schwirse
(Trevor Wagner kick)
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Passing – H, Schwirse 17-24-1-1165-1; K, Henry Mer-
cado 5-7-0-70-1, Lucas Castilleja 2-3-0-100-1, Payton
Graham 0-2-0-0-0.
Rushing – H, Daniel Faaeteete 6-16, Guiomar
Garay 5-9, Trevor Wagner 2-2, Garrett Walchli 1-(-
2), Schwirse 4-(-20); K, Tuna Altahir 15-111, Gilbert
Marquez 4-9, Lucas Castilleja 4-10, Henry Mercado
3-18, Kelen Rutz 1-53, Woodley Downard 1-13, Isaac
Friese 1-6, Jarrett Crawford 1-0.
Receiving – H, Broc Remmer 5-62, Wagner 6-32,
Walchli 3-11, Faaeteete 1-12, Spencer Juul 1-3, Trent
Pitney 1 (-4); K, Woodley Downard 1-86, Kelen Rutz
2-35, Messiah Jones 2-25, Alex Swaney 1-20, Gilbert
Marquez 1-4.
Dawgs to finish season against North Central
Injuries plagued Hermiston
in what could have been
a productive season
By ANNIE FOWLER
STAFF WRITER
There was so much promise
at the start of the season for the
Hermiston football team.
Strong senior class, good lead-
ership and a grasp of what it takes
to be successful in the Mid-Co-
lumbia Conference.
The Bulldogs were on top of
the world heading into their first
game at Pasco. Then sophomore
quarterback Chase Elliott broke
his leg, and running back Guiomar
Garay was out several games with
an ankle injury.
And the hits just kept coming.
Defensive lineman Sean Stew-
art missed the better part of two
games with injuries, linebacker
Nathan Wheeler suffered a hand
injury last week, and linebacker
Ryan Arnold, the team’s leading
tackler, is likely to miss his second
game Friday with an injury when
the Bulldogs host North Central at
5 p.m. in an MCC/GSL crossover
game at Kennison Field.
“It’s a pride thing,” Hermiston
coach David Faaeteete said. “We
have had a sour taste all year. We
have a chance to be 1-0 in Novem-
Staff photo by Ben Lonergan
Hermiston wide receiver Garrett Walchli (5) runs the ball during the first half against Kamiakin in their Nov. 1
game at Neil F. Lampson Stadium in Kennewick, Wash. The Braves defeated the Bulldogs 40-7.
ber. It’s always different with
these crossover games. They (GSL
teams) are well-coached and deep.
We have to do our thing and play
as a team.”
As to the injuries, every one
of the aforementioned play-
ers is questionable for Friday,
except Elliott, whose injury was
season-ending.
“Ryan will do anything in his
power to play,” Faaeteete said.
“Sean is sore, but he should be
good to go. G (Garay) will do any-
thing to play, but you never know
with ankle injuries. Wheeler did
not practice Monday, so we will
see.”
Hermiston senior wide receiver/
defensive back Garrett Walchli,
who has been able to stay healthy,
has not been looking forward to
this game.
“As a senior, this is our final
game,” he said. “The last time we
will suit up in football pads. The
last time we will play together. A
lot of us have been together since
Grid Kids. It’s bittersweet, but you
get to spend the game with the
boys around you.”
The Bulldogs (1-8) are coming
off a 40-7 loss to Kamiakin.
Their one win came came in
Week 5 with a 37-7 victory over
Southridge.
North Central (1-8) lost its first
eight games of the season before
beating Rogers 26-3 on Hallow-
een night.
“They are a lot like us,” Walchli
said. “Struggling to find chemistry.
We will take it one play at a time.”
Walchli is disappointed that the
season did not go as planned, but
there were lessons to be learned
along the way.
“Football teaches you a lot
about life,” he said. “In a sense,
everyone’s goal is a state cham-
pionship, or a league title. It’s the
process, not the product — that’s
when you find out who your team-
mates are.”